In a rear wheel skid, your vehicle:

In a rear wheel skid, the vehicle loses traction at the rear wheels, causing it to slide sideways. This happens because the rear tires are unable to maintain their grip on the road surface during certain maneuvers, like turning quickly or accelerating too hard. When this skid occurs, the vehicle may move sideways naturally without any additional steering input from the driver, as the rear wheels are not responding to steering and are simply following the path dictated by the loss of traction.

Understanding this behavior is crucial for drivers because it informs how they should respond to a rear wheel skid. The common approach is to steer into the skid to regain control, rather than oversteering or steering away from the skid, which may exacerbate the loss of control.

Recognizing that the vehicle will move sideways clarifies the nature of skids and helps in developing appropriate reactions to regain stability.